Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Multi-Care

I'm not a fan of Multi-Care, but I use them because they have the only health and urgent care clinic in the local area which is covered under my health insurance. I won't go into details over the experience and issues I've had with them, but for a for-profit health care company, they're far from the best.

For one, they've been caught billing patients first even when they have health insurance which covers them and their healthcare services, and often more than double the rate they bill insurance companies, and threatening legal action if the patient doesn't pay.

I was caught by this when they billed $5,400 for a MRI on my lower back when I pinched my Sciatic nerve. It took several visits to get them to bill my insurance company, whom they billed $2,700 who paid the maximum under the contract, leaving me paying $1,000 for the MRI and specialist diagnosis.

But today was a big, "Huh?" Last year I stopped by the the urgent care clinic for a flu shot. They said the main healthcare clinic provides them. So I went there, made an appointment, and got a flu shot. I never saw the bill because it's a mandated coverage and cost by insurance companies.

So today I stopped by the clinic for my flu shot, and after a 20-minute wait a nurse informed me they won't give me a flu shot because they're not my Primary Care Provider (PCP) and they need a doctor's referral for the shot. A flu shot!

My PCP is in Seattle and they don't give flu shots. They don't give referrals either because it's unnecessary since the flu shot is recommended and covered by insurance without question. Then the nurse said I can get the shot at the urgent care clinic (downstairs).

Yeah, upstairs you need to have a doctor's referral, but downstairs, just walk in the door, show your cards and get a shot. And that's what I did, in 5 minutes, in and out. Now I'll see if they bill me or my health insurance company. I'm not holding my breath with them anymore.